Vapor-valve for steam-heating.



E. E. GOLD.

VAPOR VALVE FOR STEAM HEATING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 6. 1911- Patented May14,1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I INVENTOR ,gvlwar By Attorneys, 1 GBRAJULF Q A 6' WIT 1 E. E. GOLD.

VAPOR VALVE FOR STEAM HEATING.

I APPLICATION FILED SEPT-6,1917. 1,265,904.

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mom 4 mm ml m 5 WITNESSES fi @mm. svvvlk r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD E. GOLD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GOI D CAR HEATING & LIGHTING COMPANY, OF YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VAPOR-VALVE FOR- STEAM-HEATING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 6, 1917. Serial No. 190,078.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. GOLD, a citizen of the United" States of America, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor-Valves for Steam-Heating, of which the following is a specification.

This vinvention relates to steam inlet valves of the type known as vapor valves, which are adapted, under control of the heat of the spent fluid discharged from a radiator, to regulate the admission of steam to such radiator, the latter being open at its outlet, so that the steam is at substantially atmospheric pressure or in the vapor condition. Such vapor valves are used exclusively, or substantlally so, for control ling the admission of steam to the radiators of car heating apparatus, although applicable to other heating systems.

Heretofore such vapor valves have comprised a steam inlet valve controlling the flow of steam to the radiator, and a thermostat for actuating such valve being exposed in the flow of spent steam or condensation discharged from the radiator.

a The present invention introduces a new principle or mode of operation, in that the thermostat is not exposed to the spent fluid from the radiator, but is heated indirectly therefrom through an interposed wall or partition against which the spent hot fluid flows or impinges, whereby the wall is more or less heated and the heat is transmitted therefrom to the thermostat (by radiation, conduction, orconvection). To this end the thermostat (preferably a highly sensitive diaphragm vessel) is inclosed ma chamber, the wall or walls of which are exposed to the flow of the spent hot fluid, while preferably for more sensitive action the chamber is perforated to ermit air to circulate through it and ventilate it, and thereby hasten the cooling of the thermostat.

-The chamber is constructed so as to be readily opened to gain access to the thermostat so that the latter may be examined or replaced without opening the .steam or is a plan of the preferred embodiment of the new vapor valve;

Fig. 2 is a vertical mid-section thereof;

F ig. 3 is an'end elevation of the steam valve, being partly in section, in the plane of the line 33 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an elevation showin one way in which the vapor valve may it in connection with a steam heating radiator.

In the drawings A is the main supply pipe or train pipe, and a is the branch pipe leading to theradiator B. The steam pipe Patented May 14, 1918.

applied a is controlled by a steam inlet valve C of anyordinary construction. A hand cut-01f valve D is ordinarily provided for shutting off steam or vapor from the radiator when desired. The discharge from the radiator enters through a pipe I) and enters the main body E of the vapor. valve, for which purpose a discharge inlet opening 0 is provided, and the hot fluid (steam, vapor, or condensation) from the radiator circulates through passage 03 within the casing E andpasses out through an outlet opening 6 by a discharge or drip pipe F and, usually, an extension or hood F which is open at the bottom to afford free and unobstructed discharge of the vapor or condensation. The casing E is constructed to form a chamber G which incloses the thermostat or diaphragm vessel H. The chamber G is separated from the discharge passage d by' an intervening partition f which is preferably cast integrally with the casing and is made as thin as practicable, since the parts are subjected to no appreciable fluid pressure. The thermostat H is shown as a double diaphragm vesselformed of thin flexible metal and containing a small quantity of highly volatile through the valve stem I to close the steam inlet valve 0.. This valve is shownvas consisting of a tappet disk 9 mounted loosely on the end of the stem I and seating against a seat plug h screwed into the valve casing and accessible by moving a plug '5, so that by unscrewing the seat plug it acts as a head to the valve The latter is shown as having a packing asket j. The stem I passes through a stu g box or gland is,

a spring chamber and containing a spring and also through a hollow plug Z, forming m which acts against an enlarged portion or head I on the stem to open the valve and to contract or compress the diaphragm vessel H. The vessel H is confined between two cupped disks H through which its expansive movements are transmitted, these disks abutting on the one side against the partition f, and on the other side against the stem of the head I. The diaphragm vessel is shown as formed with centering pins n on opposite sides which drop into sockets of which one, 0, is formed in aboss on the partition 7, and the other is formed in the stem head I. To keep this latter recess in its opening on the upper side of the stem, the latter is prevented from turning by means of a pin ;0 driven into a hole in the casing and projecting into a slot in the stem.

For exerting a cooling action upon the thermostat two means are provided. The one consists in ventilating the chamber G, as by providing openings 9 at the lower side, and 7' at the upper side, so that air may enter at the lower openings and, being heated within the chamber, may escape through the upper openings, thus maintaining a continual circulation or ventilation of cool air. In the case of a car, this air is taken from just above the car floor.

The other wayof cooling the thermostat is by directing cool air against the dividing partition f, whereby to counteract the heating effect upon this partition of the hot fluid discharged from the radiator. this purpose the drip pipe F is provided with a middle partition or plate J, which projects beneath the open bottom end of the rip pipe so as to intercept the air beneath the car, so that when the car is in motion the current of air thereby occasioned shall be diverted by the partition J and caused to flow up through the drip pipe and impinge against the under side of the partitlon f.

This type of ventilating drip is well known and is applied to various heating apparatus constructed according to my patents, being illustrated, for example, in Patent No.- 1,106,801, granted August 11, 1914.

The vapor casing E and steam inlet valve C are rigidly connected in some convenient manner, preferably in the manner shown, where the steam valve is supported upon isolated arms a u projecting from a base n which is bolted to studs projecting from the casing E. This affords a convenient construction whereby effective ventilation is accomplished between the two casings, so that the. heat from the live steam in the inlet pipe a and the shell of the valve 0 is not appreciably transmitted to the diaphragm chamber;

In operation the hot fluid discharged from the radiator heats the partition f and thence heats the thermostat H and expands For the latter so as to nearly close the steam valve C, only a slight inflow of steam belng permitted, suflicient to supply the condensation in the radiator and maintain a constant outflow--of vapor. If the discharge diminishes or becomes cooler, less heat is transmitted' through the partition 1 to the thermostat; the thermostat, by reason of the cooling agencies to which it is subjected, partly contracts, and the valve 0 is opened under the combined efl'ect of the steam pressure and the stress of the spring m; the increased admission of steam "causes a more rapid flow through the radiator until the discharge therefrom has increased in volume. or in temperature and more heat is communicated to the partition 7 and thence to the thermostat, so that the latter expands to a greater extent and close the valve 0 more tightly; whereupon the contrary eifect ensues. The vapor valve thus responds to any increase or decrease in temperature at the outflow from the radiator and tends to compensate for this by an inverse regulation of the entering steam.

To readily get access to the chamber G its top is formed as a lid K having hinges s and held down by a spring latch t, so that,

by springing open this latch the lid can be thrownback and the top of the chamber thereby opened. This is desirable in case the, diaphragm vessels H become faulty through leakage or distortion, so that they fail to act properly. In such case, by opening the chamber they can readily be lifted out and replaced by substitutes. This .replacement can be convenientlg effected from inside of the car (instead 0 having to go beneath the car, as has heretofore been the practice with vapor valves), and without the necessity of shutting oil" the steam, since no steam or vapor enters the thermostat chamber.

This new vapor valve has been demonstrated under practical tests to act very sensitively and to afford perfect control of the steam, according to the varying requirements of the radiator in order to compensate for variations in weather conditions or in car temperature. It has the important advantages of being readily accessible within the car, and of providing great facility for examining and replacing the thermostat. It also is much cheaper to construct than the vapor valves heretofore made.

This last advantage is peculiarly avail-' able where the car is fitted with several radiators or radiating sections, as it enables each radiator to be controlled by its own vapor valve, without necessitating undue expense in installation. Heretofore the cost of the vapor valve used has been so high that there has been reason for economizing 5', four) radiators, in

which case the discharge pipes from all the radiators had to be carried down to the diaphragm chamber of the one vapor. valve. In such installations difiiculty has been experienced by reason of the hot vapor backradiators of heat. These difliculties are' avoided by supplying a separate vapor valve for each radlatator, which. is rendered economically feasible by the cheapened con-;

struction provided by this invention.

The valve 0 is shown as arranged to receive an upright steam pipe a; but if it is desirable that this steam pipe shall extend horizontally, this may readily be accomplished by removing the fastening screws which hold the base '0 to the shell E, turning this base one-quarter around and replacing the screws, this capability being due to the fact that there are four screws entering holes equidistantly spaced.

It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise construction and arrangement shown, as the operative parts may be placed in other positions and be otherwise constructed .or adapted, according to the particular type or arrangement of piping and radiators, and as determined by any other special conditions.

My present invention is to be distinguished from the structure set forth in my Patent No. 1,106,801, dated August 11, 1914, in which, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the thermostat or expansion vessel is inclosed in a chamber which is separated by the damper 0 from the passage through which the spent fluid from the radiator is discharged; and in which when the damper so separates the chamber from the discharge conduit, the structure as a whole is not in condition to operate as a vapor valve, but the inlet. valve is held wide open so that the system becomes a high pressure heating system and the passage for spent fluid is a mere-drip passage leading from the outlet valve. In the structure of that patent, when so adjusted the hot drip merely passes one side of the chamber containing the thermostatic vessel, this chamber being exposed on all other sides to cold air orwind beneath the car, so that it is cooled very effectively and receives no effective heat from the drip, with the result that the thermostatic vessel remains in a contracted position so as to leave the inlet at the same time lifted from its seat to afford a free outlet for the spent vapor.

. My present invention is believed to introduce for the first time a thermostat or thermo-expansion device which is out of direct contact with the spent fluid from the radiator, but which in its operative condition as a vapor valve is indirectly heated from such spent fluid, as, preferably, by being inclosed in a chamber which is effectively heated by the circulation of the freely outflowing fluid or vapor against a wall or walls of such chamber. To make my present system operative it requires a thermostat or expansion vessel of much more sensitive nature, that is, more quickly responsive to heating, than those commonly heretofore used, such as the one shown in my aforesaid patent.

I claim as my invention 1. A vapor valve comprising a steam-inlet valve, a thermostat operatively connected thereto, and a discharge passage for spent fluid from the radiator, the thermostat being arranged exteriorly to said passage and out of direct conductive contact with the spent fluid, but adjacent to such passage so as to receive heat indirectly from such .fluid.

2. A vapor valve according to claim 1, having meansfor cooling said thermostat.

3. vapor valve comprising a steaminlet valve, a thermostat operatively connected thereto, a chamber inclosing said thermostat, the latter being out of contact with the walls of the chamber, and a dis- 1 charge passage for spent fluid from the radiator, adapted to direct such fluid against a wall of said chamber to heat the latter and thereby to expand the thermostat, the fluid being excluded from said chamber.

4. A vapor valve comprising a steam-inlet valve, a thermostat operatively connected thereto, a chamber inclosing said thermostat, the latter being out of contact with the walls of the chamber, a discharge passage for spent fluid from the radiator, adapted to direct such fluid against a wall of said chamber to heat the latter and thereby to expand the thermostat, the fluid being excluded from said chamber, and said chamber having a removable portion, by opening which access may be gained to said thermostat.

5. A vapor valve comprising a steam-inlet valve, a thermostat. operatively connected thereto, a chamber inclosing said thermostat, a discharge passage for spent fluid from theradiator, adapted to direct such fluid against awall of said chamber to heat the latter and thereby to expand the thermostat, the fluid being excluded from said chamber, and. said chamber having perforations near its .bottom and top, respectively, to permit acirculati'on of air to cool the thermostat.

6. A vapor valvecomprising a steam-inlet valve, a thermostat operatively connected thereto, a chamber inclosing said thermostat, the latter being out of contact with the walls of the chamber, a discharge passage for spent fluid from the radiator, adapted to direct such fluid against a wall of said chamber to heat the latter and thereby to expand the thermostat, the fluid being excluded from said chamber, and means'for directing a current of cool air from the exterior against said partition to cool said chamber.

7. A vapor valve comprising a steam-inlet valve, a thermostat operatively connected thereto, and a discharge passage for spent the chamber, and operatively connected tosaid valve.

9. A vapor valve comprlsing a steam-1nlet valve, a casing formed with a discharge passage and a thermostat chamber with an intervening. partition, and a thermostat in said chamber operatively connected to said valve, the thermostat being formed as an expansible diaphragm vessel and mounted removably in said chamber to facilitate its replacement.

10. A vapor valve comprising a steam-inlet valve, a casing formed with a discharge passage and a thermostat chamber with an intervening partition, a valve stem from said valve entering said chamber, and a thermostat in said chamber formed as an expansible diaphragm vessel introduced between said stem and a wall of said chamber, and adapted to be removed and replaced.

11. A vapor valve comprising a steam-inlet valve, a casing formed with a discharge assage and a thermostat chamber with an intervening partition, a valve stem from said valve entering said chamber, and a thermostat in said chamber formed as an expansible diaphragm vessel having opposite projections adapted to enter respectively into recesses in an abutment in said chamber and in said valve stem, whereby the thermostat vessel is removably 'positioned.

12. A vapor valve comprising a steam-inlet valve, a thermostatic expansion vessel adapted when heated to close said valve a chamber inclosing said vessel, a passage or spent fluid from the radiator arranged to communicate heat to a considerable area of the wall of said chamber, whereby throu h said wall to heat said chamber and indirectly heat said vessel, the vessel being adapted when so heated to expand and substantially close the valve, and said chamber having a removable cover whereby to get access to the vessel without communicating with said passage.

13. A heating apparatus comprising a, radiator within a compartment, and a Vapor valve within such compartment comprising a steam-inlet valve admitting steam to said radiator, a thermostat, a chamber inclosingsaid thermostat, a discharge passage from the radiator arranged to conduct such discharge against a wall of such chamber to.

heat the latter, said thermostat being connected to close the valve by its expansion, and said chamber havin a cover whereby access may be gained to t e thermostat from the interior of the compartment.

14. A vapor valve comprising a steam-inlet valve, a thermostat connected to close said valve, by its expansion, a casing formed with a free discharge passage from the radiator, and a chamber for said thermostat with an intervenin partition of such area in contact with sai passage as when heated by hot vapor discharged from the radiator to radiate suflicient heat into said chamber relatively to the sensitiveness of the thermostat to expand the latter sufliciently to substantially close the inlet valve. v

vIn witness whereof, I have hereunto signed by name. v

' EDWARD E. GOLD. Witnesses:

HARRY C. POILLON. Josnrn FALLIS. 

